A Father and Daughter Bond
by Kristen3
Summary: After the birth of his daughter, Niles finds himself feeling a deeper love than he has for David, but also some additional worries. Luckily, Daphne always knows exactly how to comfort him. Fluffy one-shot. Rating is for slight innuendo.


Niles slipped out of bed quietly, not wanting to wake Daphne. He knew she needed her rest. After all, she'd just come back from the hospital two days ago. The day before that, she'd given birth to their second child, a girl. Niles loved David very much. He was an excellent student, and although he spent more time playing sports than Niles would've liked, he was still a very proud father. He had even managed to almost enjoy watching David's Little League team play T-Ball.

But now he had a daughter. Though the baby had only been home for a few hours, Niles already understood what people said about the father/daughter bond. He tiptoed down the hall to the nursery. This time, they'd decided to make things easier by finding out the baby's sex ahead of time. The entire room was pink, or so it seemed. When he opened the door and stepped inside, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, moonlight allowed him to see just enough to make his way over to the crib.

He looked down, pleased to see her sleeping peacefully. "Hello, Abigail." After countless rounds of suggesting and vetoing names, he and Daphne had settled on Abigail. Daphne suggested it, and when Niles consulted a book on baby names, he found that it meant "Joy of the father." That had sealed the deal. And already Abigail was living up to her name. Niles could not resist reaching into the crib to lift his daughter out. When it came time for Abigail's feedings, Niles was reluctant to even allow Daphne to take her away. He couldn't believe something this soft and warm could exist, much less that this baby belonged to him. Making sure Abigail was safe in his arms, Niles walked over to the rocking chair. The same chair had been used when David was an infant. Many nights, Niles had woken up, only to find he was alone. Invariably, he would walk into the nursery and see Daphne sitting there with David in her arms. Niles had never understood exactly why she felt a need to check on their son so often. But now, it was much clearer.

"Your mommy and I love you so much," Niles whispered, kissing the top of his daughter's soft head. Her hair was dark, clearly inherited from Daphne. Niles didn't mind a bit. In fact, he suspected that was partially why he loved her so much. "I know your mom is looking forward to doing all sorts of 'girl' things with you – trying on dresses, teaching you about makeup, that sort of thing. All the things she can't do with David. But I think I'd rather keep you like this for as long as possible." Niles laughed. He knew that, no matter how much he might want to, he couldn't stop his daughter from growing up. "As long as I can hold you like this, I know you'll be safe. But once you start going off on your own, I won't be able to protect you. I'm sure, at some point, you'll develop an interest in boys. I hope that's not for another twenty or thirty years from now. I know there are a few nice boys out there. I want you to find a boy who loves you. Not one who'll just _say_ he loves you, but one who really cares for you. Hopefully, you'll see how a woman should be treated when you see how much I adore your mother. If it weren't for her, I don't know where I'd be."

Niles heard a sound from the hallway and looked up to see Daphne standing there. For a moment, he almost felt guilty, as if he'd been caught doing something. But his wife's smile told him she wasn't a bit angry. "I thought I might find you here." She made her way into the room.

"I couldn't love David more, but all of a sudden, I think my heart must've doubled in size. Is that how you felt when David was born?"

Daphne nodded. "Exactly. All my fears about raising a mini-Frasier just melted away as soon as he grabbed me hair."

Niles smiled, remembering the moment. "How did we get so lucky as to have two wonderful children?"

"I don't know. I still ask meself how you could ever fall in love with me the way you did."

"That was easy. I walked into Frasier's one night, and there you were." Niles moved his daughter to one arm and reached out to take Daphne's hand. "I can't begin to thank you for all the things you've given me, my love. You helped bring Frasier and me closer, and helped us learn to get along with Dad. And you've given me your life. Any man would be satisfied with that. But now I've got two children to love. None of this would've ever been possible without you."

Not knowing what to say, Daphne could only lean down to kiss Niles softly.

Niles smiled as the kiss ended. Even after so many years, the feeling of her lips on his did not get old. He looked down at the sleeping angel in his arms. "I look at her, so fragile and innocent, and I wonder what will happen to her when she grows up. I've had several patients dealing with a child who's gotten herself pregnant before graduating high school. I would hate for Abigail to have to go through that."

"I don't think you have to worry about that, my darling," Daphne said softly. "I've read that girls usually look for men who remind them of their fathers. And if that's true, she'll want a man who loves her enough not to put her in a difficult situation. I know because of how well you've always taken care of me."

For the first time since he'd become the father of a little girl, Niles felt himself really relax. As always, Daphne knew just how to put his worries into perspective. "Thank you, my love." He stood up, kissing her once more. "When I think of how often Frasier and I fought while we were growing up, I begin to wonder how David and Abigail will get along. I know what it's like to be the younger, weaker sibling. But then I think of how close my brother and I are now, and how I have you to thank for it. I know that everything's going to be OK."

Daphne couldn't help feeling slightly embarrassed. The Cranes always gave her credit for the bond they'd developed over the years, but she knew she hadn't really done much. She didn't want to discuss the topic with him again. Instead, she looked down, noticing how Abigail stirred slightly in her sleep. "Why don't you put her back in her crib so she'll be more comfortable? And I think_ you'll_ be much better off in our bed as well." She smiled at him, letting him know what was on her mind.

Niles did as she'd instructed, making sure there was a blanket covering Abigail so she would not be cold. Then he took Daphne's hand as they walked back to their master bedroom. Parenting brought so many more challenges than Niles would have ever thought possible. No one could predict what the future might hold for their children. But it didn't matter right now. The important thing was that the newest members of the Crane family were safe, happy, and most of all, loved.

**The End**


End file.
